Monday, October 22, 2007

North West Libraries is running a programme called Time To Read and as part of a drive designed to get people fired up about books and libraries, they have a promotion titled Pure Passion. It's designed to showcase the breadth and depth of the best examples of Romantic Fiction and a selection of titles has been shortlisted for a public vote. The Scarlet Lionis one of the shortlisted titles and represents the scope of historical fiction. If anyone feels they want tovote forThe Scarlet Lion (pretty please, grovel, grovel) then they can do so here: It's number 18 on the voting form http://tinyurl.com/2huj8z

Anyway, so that this blog is not a piece of shameless self promotion, let me go on to say that as part of the programme, North West libraries has been holding a series of author visits and events for the region. Last month I was asked to give a talk about The Scarlet Lion at Bramall Hall just outside Stockport. I do come from that neck of the woods originally, but I left when I was very young, so I had no inkling that this wonderful place existed. http://tinyurl.com/22euywThe hall itself dates back to the 14th Century, but the main effect is Tudor. It's a stunning building both from the outside as you can see here and the interior (below)

I gave my talk in the Great Hall, with the audience seated in the body of the hall and me standing in the fireplace! To the right of where I was standing, the original 13thC hall door is still in situ and it reminded me very much of William Marshal's doors at Chepstow on a smaller scale. (not in photo)

Upstairs, there was a fabulous chamber (now known as The Ballroom) covered in detailed wall paintings from the 15thC. My camera was playing up and no photographs were allowed anyway, but here is a picture from the guidebook. It doesn't do the room justice at all. The colours were far more vigorous than this. What you see as a dingy dun colour on the walls in this photo is actually a melange of rich autumnal colours and textures, including red and green. There were hunting scenes, mythical scenes, and a vignette of a man and woman at courtly play, the man with a lute and the woman graciously listening. It truly is stunning and a work of national importance.

In another room there was a display of a magnificent hand embroidered 'table carpet' dating to the Tudor period and worked with a design of poppies.There is also a fabulous chapel which has decorations from several different eras, including the earlier medieval period.

If you are in the area do go and look around. It's now owned by the council and you'll have to check when it's open to the public, although I understand that the grounds (70 acres) are open on a general basis. It's a gem of a place.

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THE WINTER CROWN

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

" Wow! I feel like someone used to watching movies in black and white but has just seen the first one in technicolor! " A personal letter from a reader.

"The Winter Crown ...will, I have no doubt, become the definitive fictional account of this remarkable woman.' ..." I’ve read a fair few fictional depictions of Henry II over the years and I must say that his portrait in The Winter Crown has the most authentic feel of them all."Kate Atherton, author of For Winters Night blog.

"Eeanor’s life story has been told many times over in historical novels but rarely with such insight, emotional intensity and page-turning readability." Pam Norfolk, Lancashire Evening Post.

"In the world of the arts, the Black Legend and the Golden Myth still hold sway, as seen in novels, such as Alison Weir's, which seek to portray both the scandalous, adulterous queen of legend and the powerful female ruler. Historians may shake their heads at the perpetuation of such myths, but many historical novelists such as Sharon Kay Penman and Elizabeth Chadwick are seeking to apply modern scholarship to their fiction, and consequently avoid the most egregious of the legends that surround Eleanor."

THE SUMMER QUEEN UK cover

US paperback cover. UK hardback

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE SUMMER QUEEN

"What I loved about this novel, and I have felt this way about all of Elizabeth’s novels that I have read, is that she does not pander to stereotypes or write scandal for the sake of it. The historical Eleanor is defamed beyond belief- a whore chasing anything in trousers, a woman who committed incest with her uncle, a woman who was ‘ahead of her time’, and so on. Elizabeth’s Alienor is none of these things. She is treated fairly, as a woman of her own time, written in a believable way. Elizabeth does not go for scandal because she does not need to- the writing in this novel makes that very clear. Her scene setting is lovely, her character development top notch, and the book is a compulsive page turner. I couldn’t put it down." Sarah Bell

."The Summer Queen is a fabulous novel based on the most up-to-date and meticulous research. This is historical fiction at its best and I loved every page of it." Kate Atherton, blogger.

"I have read just about everything I can about Eleanor and enjoyed both biographical and fictional accounts of her life but I must say that your creation of Eleanor is the most compelling." Reader from Australia

"I loved the story; I loved the way the author wrote Alienor as a woman of her times instead of a thoroughly modern independent woman, or a slut in chase of anything in pants. As with all Chadwick novels, there's also the added plus of being sucked into another century with the sights, smells and sounds that wrap up a darn-near perfect reading experience. I couldn't put it down, and very sorry I'm going to have to wait for the next installment. Reader from the USA"

I often see the expressions, `fleshing out the history' and `making it real', and they more than apply here...the main aspect that made me keep turning the pages and burning the midnight oil? The things that I didn't know about Alienor.." Reader from Australia

"Chadwick has succeeded where many other novelists have failed by giving us not just the legend but the very human young woman – intelligent, determined, witty and sexy." Pam Norfolk. Lancashire Evening Post.